Maidstone marks Queens Green Canopy with 70 new trees in seven locations
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is helping to create a living legacy as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative by planting 70 trees in seven locations across the borough. Maidstone Mayor, Cllr Derek Mortimer has been joined by MBC Councillors today, 5 January, working together to plant the first 70 trees into the ground at Whatman Park. MBC is working with local community groups and schools to help plant the new trees in the other six locations. Over the next two weeks trees will also be planted at Allington Recreation Ground, Giddyhorn Recreation ground and in two areas in both South Park and Shepway Green.
Leader of MBC, Cllr David Burton said: “It is an honour to be part of this unique tree planting initiative which will leave a fantastic legacy to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. We will be planting a total of 490 trees this winter as part of the initiative. Increasing tree cover is an important part of our strategy for protecting biodiversity, and mitigating the climate emergency. Tree planting is fully supported by the council's climate action plan.”
The Queen’s Green Canopy invited people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ and is proud to be creating a living legacy with over a million trees planted in Her Majesty’s name across the nation.
Volunteers in Sutton Valence battle winter weather to plant 1,600 new trees!
At the end of 2022, Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) funded the creation of a brand new woodland in Sutton Valence. The project saw MBC partner with Sutton Valence Parish Council and Medway Valley Countryside Partnership (MVCP) to plant a total of 1,600 trees in Platinum Meadow. Volunteers from the local community battled freezing temperatures and snowy conditions to help MVCP complete this fantastic project which will benefit both nature and the local community. The sapling protection and bamboo canes used for this planting were all biodegradable.
We want to say a huge thank you to MVCP for organising the planting of this new woodland and to all the volunteers who gave up their time to help plant the new trees and make this project such a success!
MBC are looking to support and fund more tree planting projects in the borough. If you are planning a large scale tree planting project, like the one in Sutton Valence, we want to hear from you! Contact us here.
Buy Nothing New Month is a new campaign organised by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy which embraces buying nothing new for the whole of January, to save your pennies and protect your planet.
While giving away our unwanted stuff and recycling are both great, we need to do more and buy less. That’s what Buy Nothing New Month is all about. A month to embrace buying nothing new for the whole of January (except of course for essentials like food, medicine and toothpaste).
Throughout January, Keep Britain Tidy will be sharing a host of tips and tricks on how you can buy nothing new and make the most of what you already have. We’ll be calling on you to rethink what you want versus what you need, reconsider if you can repair versus replace and think about whether you can rent, borrow or buy second-hand rather than buy new. So, get involved in this inspiring new campaign, encourage your friends, family and colleagues to join in and share your own ideas and progress!
At the end of 2022, we visited Clock House Farm, a leading berry, top & stone fruit grower, to see how they are boosting biodiversity, bringing down their carbon emissions and carefully managing their water usage. In each area the producer is taking measures to up its game and evidence their progress. The Maidstone-based soft fruit grower takes its responsibility in protecting the natural landscape very seriously and is a brilliant example of best practice in terms of sustainability with a number of pioneering projects in place.
Carbon Reduction Clock House Farm regularly measures and reviews CO2 emissions generated as a result of their activities and are proactively taking steps to reduce their total greenhouse gas footprint. In 2022 the farm rolled out a £10m renewable energy heated soft fruit growing system designed to produce fruit outside of the UK growing season whilst improving the company’s environmental footprint. The initiative represents the most significant investment in green energy for soft fruit in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.
All the berries are grown in high tech poly greenhouses provided with a consistent supply of heat from the Medway. The innovative heating process involves extraction of river water (heated by the sun) which is passed through a heat exchanger and then discharged straight back into the river having removed a couple of degrees of heat from the water. A second loop then transfers this heat to the plant room’s heat pumps to achieve a temperature of 45 degrees, which is circulated out to the greenhouses. This ground-breaking system represents a greener, more sustainable approach to energy consumption, whilst also enabling the farm to extend its growing season, meaning consumers can purchase British fruit for longer, rather than relying on imported fruit with excessive food miles.
Alongside this Clock House Farm has established a new containerised plant propagation business, Linton Growing, to provide the farm with access to the best-in-class plant stock. Previously the farm bought in mainly finished plants with approximately 50% purchased in the UK and 50% coming from overseas. Linton Growing increases the plant quality and security of supply to Clock House Farm, whilst also reducing CO2 emissions associated with buying in finished plants from elsewhere in the UK and from overseas.
Enhancing Biodiversity
Clock House Farm has taken on the principle of ‘spared and shared’ areas. ‘Sparing’ biodiversity involves replanting woodland, widening hedgerows and making space for large areas of a nature reserve, while ‘sharing’ is about managing cropping areas to have either the least impact possible or an actively beneficial effect on the environment. Biodiversity projects include:
- Planting 1-2km of hedges around fields every year - Mowing less to preserve habitats - 'Sparing' 8 hectares (HA) of land adjacent to the River Medway to be managed as a nature reserve - Planting 1 HA of wildflower meadows - Planting wildflower margins around fruiting areas, increasing wild pollinators
Water Management
Water is critical to fruit growing and Clock House Farm is respectful of the need to carefully manage this finite resource. The farm is committed to introducing new initiatives to optimise water productivity and reduce water stress.
A new reservoir holding 25,000 cubic meters has recently been completed, with more reservoirs planned before 2027. This ensures the farms resilience against periods of severe drought and reduces pressure on local water resources. Clock House farm is also using new technology to control water usage by monitoring air temperature, light levels and humidity. Due to this new technology, the farm has been reducing water usage each year despite increasing the volume of fruit grown. Well done Clock House Farm!
Visit the Veganuary website and find top tips, recipe ideas and eating guides.
Veganuary is a non-profit organisation that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond. Switching to a more plant-based diet is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, save on food costs and lead a healthier lifestyle, so why not give it a go this month! During the 2022 campaign, more than 620,000 people took the pledge to try a vegan diet, while more than 1,540 new vegan products and menu options were launched in key campaign countries. Through Veganuary, you can ‘dip your toe’ into veganism, whether that’s as an individual, as a family, at work or with a group of friends. Remember if you’re not able to go fully plant-based, why not try a vegetarian or ‘flexitarian' diet, or even just try vegan Mondays.
Christmas Tree Chipper Service at Vinters Valley Nature Reserve
Saturday 7th January 10am - 2pm at the Lodge Road Entrance
Have you thought about how best to dispose of your Christmas tree at the end of the festivities? Vinters Valley Nature Reserve would be happy to dispose of your Christmas tree for a £5 donation to the nature reserve. All the trees will be chipped and the material used to create wildlife features within the nature reserve e.g. insect and reptile basking areas, fungi friendly zones or grass snake egg laying mounds, so everything will be recycled to help nature. Maidstone based tree surgeon Joe Kinch, of Kinch Tree Services, will be providing his chipper and labour free of charge to help the nature reserve.
Please help support your local nature reserve this festive period!
Consultation on changes to
Air Quality Action Plan
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is inviting everyone to have their say on a consultation on its new Air Quality Action Plan. The Council is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in areas where Government set air quality objectives, or targets are exceeded, and to develop an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) to tackle these exceedances.
In Maidstone, air quality improvements have resulted in the area of exceedance becoming much smaller. The new Action Plan is being consulted on which will largely be focused on the new AQMA. This reflects a national trend of air quality improvements, which is due to a number of factors, including: the introduction of Euro VI engines, particularly in HGVs; the increased uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles, and a decrease in the popularity of diesel passenger cars. At the same time, large numbers of the oldest most polluting vehicles are being taken out of the vehicle fleet as they reach the end of their service lives.
The consultation is open now and will run until 29 January 2023.
This new government grant scheme is designed to fund energy-efficiency upgrades to residents who are most likely to be impacted by the high cost of rising bills. These improvements will help residents to use less energy and spend less on their energy bills. The grant will cover a range of energy-saving home improvements designed to balance the needs of residents with carbon reduction and grant availability. EON is the supply partner for Maidstone Borough Council and will manage the process.
An EV chargepoint grant can help towards the cost of installing an EV chargepoint socket at your property. The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75% or £350 off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower, at domestic properties across the UK. The grants are available if you rent or own a flat and if you are a landlord.
Due to the popularity of this grant, the deadline for applications has been extended to 15 January. This grant fund supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards. Grants can be between £200 and £2000. All projects must have strong community involvement, and ideally involve children and/or young people. Extra funding for community tree planting projects is also available from the new ‘Trees and Hedgerows for Wildlife and Biodiversity Fund’. Grants can supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards.
The National Garden Scheme Community Garden Grants
The National Garden Scheme has opened applications for its popular Community Garden Grants programme. The grants are to support community gardening projects, and must relate to an existing or proposed community garden or similar site. In 2022, 76 community garden projects were funded with grants totalling £187,000supporting community allotments and gardens, rehabilitation and regeneration projects, gardens designed to support mental health and wellbeing, as well as training and development for young people. Submissions close at noon on 31st January 2023 and applicants will be notified of the results by mid-March 2023.
Volunteers needed for Boughton Monchelsea Amenity Trust's tree planting event!
As part of the Queens Green canopy project, Boughton Monchelsea Amenity Trust (BMAT) will be planting up to 950 trees in Boughton Monchelsea this January. With so many trees to plant, BMAT are looking for volunteers to come and help with tree planting on Sunday 15th January between 10am and 3pm. Meet at the BMAT land, which lies adjacent to the Lyewood estate- nearest postcode ME17 4SY. Volunteers should wear suitable clothing, especially footwear, and bring water/drinks and snacks/lunch, as well as plenty of enthusiasm! If you have a good, sturdy spade that you are happy to bring along please do.
Take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch from 27th - 29th January 2023
2023 marks the 44th RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which sees keen birdwatchers across the UK join the largest garden wildlife citizen science project by spending one hour tracking the birds they see in their gardens. Remember, you don’t need a garden to take part! Counting birds from your balcony, or your local park will play a vital role in helping the RSPB understand how UK birds are doing. Last year just under 700,000 people took part, counting some 11 million birds!
In the UK we’ve lost 38 million birds over the last 50 years, with many back garden favourites amongst them. Take the starling: it has declined so much that it is now on the UK Red List for birds. That’s why yours and every Birdwatch matters, as it helps monitor how our UK birds are doing in the face of the nature and climate crisis.
Taking part is easy! First watch the birds around you for one hour. Next count how many of each species of bird lands on your patch. Finally go online and tell the RSPB what you saw. To help you identify your garden birds you can sign up for a free guide. Let's look out for birds together on 27-29 January!
Are you an individual, business, community group, charity or other organisation that has been taking action to respond to climate change? Have you got climate change or biodiversity events that you want to spread the word about? We want to hear from you!
Email us at climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk and tell us what you have been up to, and if you are comfortable, we will share your events, successes and lessons learnt to help others take action too.
Upcoming Events
Bearsted Climate Action Network (CAN) events!
Bearsted CAN is a local community group bringing people together from Bearsted & the surrounding area to work together to tackle the Climate & Ecological Emergency. Bearsted CAN are now working on their programme for 2023, planning lots of action that everybody can get involved with. To find out more and get involved join them for their next planning meeting on Wednesday 11 January at 7.30 pm at Holy Cross Church.
Bearsted CAN Repair Cafe - Saturday 28th January 1pm - 4pm
Bearsted Women’s Institute Hall, The Street, Bearsted, Maidstone ME14 4EX
Bearsted CAN's first event of 2023 is the Repair Cafe! Repair cafes are meeting places to repair things together, matching up people who can help repair things to tackle the throw away culture. If you are good at repairing your own stuff please volunteer to repair. Contact Bearsted CAN via email here to register as a volunteer.
If you have broken items that you would like repaired for FREE, please bring them along on Saturday 28th Jan. Items that can be repaired include jewellery, clothes & textiles, furniture & wooden objects, crockery, computers, toys and small & medium electrical appliances. There will also be a bike maintenance stall run by San Fairy Ann Cycling Club so bring along your bike for basic bike maintenance! Tea, coffee and cake will be provided.
Let's save our items from landfill!
Medway Valley Countryside Partnership (MVCP) work with various organisations to promote, enhance and protect local wildlife and landscapes. Why not join one of their FREE events to immerse yourself in nature and find out more about our local areas!
Wellbeing Walk with your dog- Tuesday 10th January 10:30am at Trosley Country Park, Meopham
Snowdrop Wellbeing Walk at Cobtree Manor Park - Wednesday 8th February 10:30am
If you have an upcoming event that you would like to promote through the Climate Change & Biodiversity newsletter please email climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk
We want to improve our communication and engagement with you around climate change & biodiversity in Maidstone. If you want to contact us please email climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk
If you have enjoyed reading our Climate Change & Biodiversity update, why not forward this email onto your friends and family so they can 'Stay Connected' to news from Maidstone Borough Council.
